Royal residences including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, and Balmoral could be made into public spaces under reported plans by King Charles.

Under plans that are still under discussion, the King intends to transform the royal residences from “private spaces to public places”, reports a source at The Sunday Times.

Among them could be Buckingham Palace. A source has told the newspaper that the King does not see Buckingham Palace as a home “fit for purpose in the modern world”.

The Source said the King “feels that its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”

Speculation about when, and if King Charles will take official residence at Buckingham Palace has arisen in recent years. Last year a source told Cosmopolitan that the then Prince Charles had plans to instead take residence akin to a “flat above a shop” when he became King.

The Sunday Times source suggests that King Charles will not yet make Buckingham Palace his residence and that he feels “its upkeep, both from a cost and environmental perspective, is not sustainable.”

Buckingham Palace is currently undergoing major refurbishment works costing £369 million, expected to be completed in 2027.

Speculation has also risen about plans for the future of Balmoral Castle, currently the private property of the monarch and the summer residence of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Earlier this year it was reported that King Charles has plans to turn the building into a museum.

King Charles reportedly plans to make Balmoral Castle a museum

The source at The Sunday Times said King Charles “wants to bring people in to connect with the institution. He recognises it needs to keep evolving, and in the modern era people want to be able to access their palaces. He embraces that and sees them as public places more than private spaces.”

Last year an insider told the Daily Mail that the then Prince believed royal residences should deliver “something for the public beyond just being somewhere for members of the Royal Family to live.”

The source continued: “Everything is seen through the lens of the question: ‘What value is this offering to the public?”

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